Trapped in Time
by RosesDyedWithBlood
Summary: A retelling of Ocarina of Time with a more adult theme. Link x practically everyone.
1. Chapter 1

Hallo, this is my first story, so I'm very sorry it's terrible.

"T_T)

Disclaimer:

I do not own Ocarina of Time nor any part of the Zelda franchise.

All rights go to their respective owners.

This story is a work of fiction and corresponds to the story line, but does not follow it exactly.

This chapter is rated: K

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><p>Chapter One: A New Beginning<p>

The air was warm that mid-morning, the day the hero of time would realize his destiny. The Kokiri were either doing chores or were playing together in their tiny village south of the Great Deku Tree, their guardian and deity. All of the Kokiri looked the same: blonde hair, green tunics and hats, and impish, childish features and bodies. Kokiri are immortal creatures, spirits of the forest even, but an outsider slipped in within them.

One storm-tossed night a woman seeking refuge from the bloody war raging her home and Hyrule field fled to the forest, and within the deepest bowels of it met the Great Deku Tree. The woman was mortally wounded during her flight, but the baby she kept tucked close to her chest and wrapped tightly in linens was unharmed. The fairies that inhabited the forest as well hovered around the Great Deku Tree and watched the mother struggle for breath; her child started to whimper and cry. The Great Deku Tree watched the mother pass on peacefully into the next world, but this left her baby boy all alone. It was decided the boy would be raised a Kokiri and integrated within the immortal society of children seamlessly. The boy was called Link since he was the Kokiri's link to the outside world.

Many years passed, and the boy grew slower than usual since time bent inside the portion of the forest the Kokiri and Deku Tree resided. Link blended in with the others well enough with his golden blonde hair and curious blue eyes. Soon only the Great Deku Tree even remembered Link belonged to the Hylian race, not the Kokiri. Link wore the same humble green tunic and green hat as the other Kokiri did along with soft leather boots, but there was something that set him apart-and it internally devastated him. All Kokiri had a fairy companion, but since Link was Hylian no fairy ever came. He became the laughing stock of the mean-spirited Kokiri, Mido, who bullied the others and claimed himself to be the leader of the tiny village. This is where our story begins.

Sunlight was filtering in the window (which was simply a hollowed out portion of the large tree our hero resided in) and bathed the quaint room in a warm hue. Link was asleep in his bed, which wasn't unusual since he was notorious amongst his neighbors of being lazy. The green tunic Link wore was soft, so he slept in that, and his blonde hair was unkempt and bedraggled from tossing and turning last night He had horrible nightmares that the Great Deku Tree was in danger, but he assured himself with the notion that it was merely nightmares. A Kokiri named Saria poked her head inside the doorway of Link's one-roomed abode and giggled, tucking a lock of green hair behind her pointed ear.

"Link! It's time to wake up, silly!" She called and jolted the boy's eyes open. Link groaned, realizing it was Saria, and rolled over on his bed to face the wall. Saria huffed and stomped inside, noting how bare it was decorated. A simple picture here and there on the walls, a table holding a pot or two, and a woven rug in the center of the room. Saria strode over to Link and pinched him on the soft lobe of his ear, causing him to yelp and bat her hand away.

"Link! You can't become a recluse." Saria exhaled heavily and sat down beside him on the bed-Link curled up into a ball and hugged his bony knees. "Link…" She sighed much softer this time and tenderly stroked his bangs and tufts of hair that were sticking out. "You can't hide from them forever."

It wasn't a secret Mido had an inherent dislike for Link, for whatever reason. He liked to beat up on the mild-natured boy and call him nasty names. All the others watched with pity except for Saria, the only one brave enough to stand up against Mido and defend Link, and because of this she was his closest friend. Saria gently brushed her thumb against a purple blotch on Link's cheek and the boy winced, which made her tender heart bleed. The girl reached for the carved wooden instrument on her belt and unhooked it.

"Hey, if you get up I'll play you a song." She promised. Link glanced back over his shoulder at her with interest and grinned whenever she began to play. Saria jumped up off the bed and started to dance and twirl around the room while playing a lively tune on the instrument; Link pulled on his hat and joined her in the playful dancing. Eventually, both broke into laughter and laid down on the soft rug to watch the ceiling spin a few times. Saria looked over at Link, who had the prettiest smile-in her opinion.

"Feel better now?"

The sweet moment was broken by Saria's fairy flying into the room and buzzing around her face.

"That wasn't good of you at all to leave me, Miss Saria!" The fairy cried out in its bell-like voice. Saria quickly glanced over at Link to see his expression had dropped once more.

"Link, I-"

He held up his hand to show it was okay and stood to his feet. Saria counted the bruises and cuts lining the backs of his legs and arms while he stepped into his boots. She hadn't noticed before, but there was also a layer of dirt on the boy.

"Link, you ought to wash up." Saria tutted in a motherly fashion before she exited the room and climbed down the ladder leading up to it.

Link rolled his eyes in rebellion to Saria's overbearing mothering before he smirked and did a backflip off his wooden porch, avoiding the ladder entirely. The porch was built by him and had lots of supports under it since it was suspended at least ten feet in the air. Link adopted the home in the upper portion of the tree rather than the bottom so he could pull up the ladder and discourage unwanted guests-though it sometimes slipped his mind to do so. The village was as lively as ever with Kokiri gathered around singing merrily. Some were perched on the tall pillars in the middle of the village and others relaxing around the edge of the small creek that fed into the shallow pond. There was a shop here, but that was about it. Some stopped to whisper when they noticed Link and others turned their heads the complete other direction.

_It's the boy without a fairy._

_I hope Mido doesn't see me looking at him. _

_What does he want?_

Link ignored them as he edged towards a more private region of the shallow pond. There he stripped out of his tunic and started washing himself. Link tensed up when he heard footsteps and whipped his head around towards the noise-which happened the belong to Josef, a villager.

"Link? Are you okay?" The other boy asked in concern and Link nodded his head.

"Good, because the Know-It-All brothers wanted to see you."

Link nodded his head and Josef left. He finished bathing and quickly dressed himself before hurrying off and up the hill where several wooden fences were set up like a maze and three identical brothers were waiting. No one knew their individual names-they were collectively the Know-It-All brothers and that's all they would be.

"Hey Link, c'mere!" One shouted and waved his arms. Link trudged up the hillside to where they were waiting.

"We're tired of seeing Mido use you as a punching bag," Said another, "so we're gonna teach you swordplay."

"What? You don't have a sword!" The third shouted, noting Link's empty belt. "That won't do at all!"

Link blushed a little in shame, but the three surrounded him and herded him towards the ivy covered stone wall of the hillside.

"You see that small hole Link? I bet you could fit inside."

"There's supposed to be a special sword hidden inside, but none of us can reach it."

"If you could find it we'd let you keep it."

Link didn't like the sly smiles the triplets were giving him, but he gathered his courage and got down on his hands and knees; he struggled to fit inside the hole, but barely did.

Inside Link found a maze with a low rumbling sound, which he quickly discovered was a large boulder rolling towards him; he shouted in surprise then hurried to round a corner in the maze. He eventually found the end (and outwitted the boulder) and found a treasure chest. He opened it and picked up the prize inside: a small sword fashioned for a child. Link took a few practice swings with it and nodded his head in approval. It almost seemed the sword was custom fitted and balanced for him. Link navigated back through the maze and met the brothers waiting for him outside.

"Hey! Congrats Link!" One grinned and patted him on the shoulder. Another handed him a leather sheath for the sword and nodded in approval. Link spent the rest of the day practicing handling the sword until he was confident. He hadn't seen Mido all day, so things were great.

The next morning it wasn't Saria who woke him, but rather a blue fairy buzzing around his face like an angry insect. Link gasped and nearly fell out of bed.

"Hey! You!" The cranky fairy shouted. "The Great Deku Tree has summoned you, so get moving!"

The Great Deku Tree himself?

Link hurried out of bed and got ready, rushing towards the exit that led to the Great Deku Tree.

"Wait! You need a shield with that sword!" The fairy, who had introduced herself as Navi, huffed. Link went into the nearby shop and purchased a Deku Shield with his saved rupees before he headed once more towards the exit. A horrible familiar face was waiting.

Mido had his hands on his hips and was tapping his foot impatiently as he guarded the exit.

"Well, if it isn't the loser without a fairy." Mido spat viciously."What do you want?"

Navi spoke up for Link.

"He's here to see the Great Deku Tree, so move out of the way, jerk."

"Who's the sassy fairy, loser?" Mido narrowed his eyes. "Did it feel sorry for you?"

Link frowned and grabbed his sword while he also held up his shield.

"A fight huh?" Mido huffed and cracked his knuckles. "No problem."

Link hit the other in the stomach with the flat of his sword then dashed past while Mido was immobilized.

"Argh…" Mido groaned, the tips of his ears were tinged red with anger.

Link rushed past the Deku Baba plants that sprang up and tried to snap at him and, with Navi leading the way, made it to the grove of the Great Deku Tree. The tree seemed grey and pale-if that were possible-and the worn bark on its trunk carved out some weathered features of a face. The Great Deku Tree spoke an ancient dialect of Hylian, but Link still understood most of it. The guardian explained something evil had denned up inside it and asked Link to go smite it, which the young boy nodded his head to. The Great Deku Tree lowered its maw and allowed Link access to the inside. Link wasted no time rushing in to save the deity of the forest.

Inside the Great Deku Tree wasn't what Link expected with multiple floors and puzzles to solve. He braved each one and claimed prizes from treasure chests he found in certain rooms. It amazed him, really, that all this adventure was only a short walk away from him his entire life. He thought of Saria, who would've loved exploring with him, and he frowned slightly.

"Hey, get moving. The Great Deku Tree is counting on you." Navi urged. Link shook off his sadness and hurried to the room where the evil creature resided.

He entered and gasped aloud; a giant, ugly arachnid hung from the ceiling. The creature opened its giant, monocular eye and it turned blood red.

"Gohma!" Navi shouted and buzzed around Link in a tizzy. "Use the Deku Seeds, Link!"

Link hurried around the room firing seeds from his slingshot (which he obtained in a room prior via treasure chest) and hitting the creature in the eye. Gohma roared and fell into the center of the room in a daze; Link slashed wildly at its eye until the creature screeched in pain and fell limp at Link's feet. Link panted heavily, his pupils were dilated from all the adrenaline in his veins, and he had splatters of monster guts and blood on his skin and tunic. Link gazed down at his stained sword and shield of wood and finally realized what power they truly held.

Link exited the Great Deku Tree in time to receive its thanks and to hear what troubles plagued the world now. A monstrous man named Ganondorf, King of the Gerudo Tribe, was spreading evil throughout the land of Hyrule. He was the one who had cursed the Deku Tree, but despite Link's valiant efforts and bravery, it was too late. The Great Deku Tree gave Link a final gift before parting to the next world-the Kokiri Emerald. Link felt small tears trail down his cheeks as the Great Deku Tree released its final breath.

The walk back to the Kokiri village was sickening, since Link saw all his neighbors gathered around before he even entered.

"Something is wrong, Link." One said in confusion and worry. "I don't feel the presence of the Deku Tree anymore."

Link chewed his bottom lip and ducked his head down sadly to confirm this and gasps erupted from the Kokiri. Link sheathed his sword and swung his shield over his back as he slowly made his way through the stunned crowd.

"Link murdered the Great Deku Tree!" Mido shouted in rage. Link lifted his head and parted his lips to defend himself, but Mido beat him to it.

"You've always been a shame to us Kokiri, Link, but killing the Great Deku Tree is unforgivable! How could you?"

Link saw the pain and raw anger in Mido's eyes, and he backed away from the boy in case he decided to get physical.

"You're a traitor, Link, and you're no longer welcomed here among us! Leave and never return!" Mido shouted. Link's eyes widened; he looked past Mido and saw expressions of grim agreement on the faces of the others. Link swallowed the pain of complete rejection and hurried out the alcove that lead to Hyrule Field.

Along the wooden bridge, a kind voice stopped Link in his tracks.

"I don't think you're a traitor, Link." Saria cooed gently. Link turned around with tiny tears in his eyes and faced his friend, who stepped forward and caressed his dirty face.

"I've always known you were different, Link, but that's not a bad thing. You're meant to do great things, I know you are."

Link leaned into her hand and placed his own on top of hers, tears once more streaming down his cheeks and leaving little shiny trails.

"Come with me." He begged in his quiet, velvety voice. It was something he hardly used, but now he needed Saria more than anything.

Saria smiled sadly at him and wiped away his tears with her dainty thumbs.

"You know I can't. My place is here."

She let go of his face and unhooked the instrument from her belt, then held it out to time.

"Here, take my ocarina and never forget me Link, mighty hero."

Link carefully held the instrument then hooked it onto his belt. He gave Saria a small smile before he left out towards Hyrule Field.

"Goodbye Link." She called gently and blinked back the tears clinging to her eyelashes. She felt an overwhelming sense of loss after Link was gone.

Life wouldn't be the same without the beautiful boy around.

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><p>Reviews make me a better and happier writer!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

A big thank you to everyone who reviewed! You make me super duper happy. \(^u^)/

Disclaimer:

I do not own Ocarina of Time nor any part of the Zelda franchise.

All rights go to their respective owners.

This story is a work of fiction and corresponds to the story line, but does not follow it exactly.

This chapter is rated: K

Now, on with the show!

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><p>Chapter Two: Lon Lon Girl<p>

Stepping out into Hyrule Field after living his entire life within the seclusion of the Kokiri Forest was an overwhelming experience for Link. His heart was already akin to a lump of lead from the events that had just passed, and the reality that he could not return home no matter the reason hurt like a deep, infected wound in his chest. The openness and vulnerability that it brought made Link's forceful stride keep a steady pace. He often had to seek the refuge of a passing tree or large boulder when his breath became shallow or tears stung his eyes. No, this new life was anything but easy on the boy. Navi wasn't exactly a sympathetic character, either, and Link was beginning to regret ever pining for a fairy. Her near constant nagging in his ear was already grinding on his nerves, and he had scarcely known the fairy for a day! The fact Link was a bit stoic and reserved by nature seemed to compel the fairy to speak more to fill the silence that he would've been entirely comfortable with. Finally, after he'd had enough of her, Link yanked off his cap and used it as a net to catch her before plopping it back on his head. Navi buzzed angrily for a few minutes, but settled down afterwards.

Link was grateful for only the noise of tall grass rustling from his footsteps and the drone of distant Peahats filling his ears. The sun crawled towards the western end of the sky and Link knew evening was drawing near. The powder blue sky above now looked as if a master artist had painted brushstrokes of orange, pink, and yellow across it and the temperature dropped steadily. Link got a small chill that made gooseflesh creep up his exposed arms and legs; night would no doubt be chilling out here without a warm bed. In the distance Link saw a wall of stone surrounding the perimeter of...something. He pondered off-handedly if it happened to be the castle Navi had droned on about prior. Link's muscles were sore from not only his exhausting fight with the wicked Gohma earlier that day, but also the travel in a terrifying new place. He felt his body might simply collapse at any moment. With the last of his strength, Link trudged towards the walls.

As it turned out the masonry wasn't as fine as he would've expected of a castle. The stones weren't polished or smooth, and didn't blend well together for that matter. It looked sturdy, but didn't radiate the order and finesse of something so grand to guard a castle. Link entered through the mouth of the stone walls, and bit into his bottom lip as he observed the less than impressive wooden doors that were swung wide open. They were a simple grainy, but strong oak. Link decided immediately that this was not a castle when he followed the dirt trodden path and found two large wooden buildings sitting parallel from each other and a grassy field and fenced in corral beyond them. The building on the right was painted a faded red and the one on the left a pale blue, as if to distinguish the two. Not that it was any trouble for Link, since the smell emanating from the red building was rancid and made his nose curl. Link cautiously took a few steps past the buildings (which he heard the whinnies of horses and the calls of cattle from the inside of the right building) and observed the green grassy pasture before him. A wooden corral as set up in the center with a dirt path surrounding it.

A faded red silo was in the far left corner of the pasture and matched (what Link assumed) was the barn. A pen was off to his left, and although he saw no actual animals inside it there was a volley of white feathers left behind in it. What a strange place. Link thought to himself. Surely it isn't abandoned, but where are the caretakers? He got his answer all too suddenly when a small, pale hand clasped his shoulder. Link gasped aloud and swung around to face whatever had grabbed him, his sword drawn from its sheath and his eyes narrowed fiercely.

What had grabbed him turned out to not be someone threatening, but rather a girl his age with pale skin, long burnt orange hair, and freckles that spread across her nose. She gasped as well and took a few unsteady steps back, her hands immediately winding around the sleeves of the yellow sweater tied loosely around her shoulders. Her plain off-white dress had flecks of mud and debris speckled along the bottom, suggesting she spent her day hard at work, and her boots were caked with dried mud as well. She blinked her pale blue eyes at him, and he did the same at her. Link felt a sickening feeling twist his gut, and he sheathed the sword. Had he frightened her? He only meant to defend himself. He took quick steps backwards, and lost his balance when he stepped into a divot in the ground, then he fell on his rear with a loud thump. If the girl was threatened before, she certainly wasn't now as she laughed into her hands at Link's expense. Link's face flared up and heat crawled up to the tips of his ears. He jumped up nervously and dashed towards the exit with strength he wasn't aware was left in him. "Wait!" He heard the girl call after him, her voice had a bit of a strange twang to it, but he did not dare pause in his retreat.

The sun had dipped behind the intimidating peak of Death Mountain and Link heard the lonesome cry of a wolfos pierce the stillness. The land might've been dark, but Link hardly cared. After the day he'd been through the last thing he wanted was to make a fool out of himself in front of a stranger. He parked his scrawny butt beneath a tree and drew his scraped knees towards his chest, then buried his grimy face into them. It was all too much. Link started to sob so hard his chest was tight and his shoulders heaved with every inhale. Navi flew out from under his hat and hovered nearby to shine a little light for him and provide some comfort in the fact he wasn't completely alone. Link glanced up at the fairy and wiped away the salty tears soaking his cheeks with the heel of his hand. "Hey, no need to cry. Everything will be okay. You'll see." Navi comforted him, although her words meant next to nothing to him.

Link perked his head up entirely when he heard a low rumble coming from the ground. a skeleton hand burst from the ground and scattered clods of dirt in every direction. Link stared dumbly, caught in a silent scream as an awful creature hauled itself from the ground. It was a skeleton with bones browned and cracked with age, a large reptilian skull, and haunting red eyes. It did not give off a proper cry, but rather a sharp noise of bone scraped on bone. Link scrambled to his feet, quickly hauling himself away from the monster and towards that ranch. At least there was a building he could hide in there. The skeleton wasn't exactly swift, but companions constantly burst from the earth to join it, so Link strained his sore muscles to get away. He saw the wooden gates of the ranch slowly closing and made a leap to get inside, and barely scraped by.

A very confused man in overalls blinked at the boy, then locked the gates. Link panted and his lungs felt fit to burst. "Who the hell are you, boy?" The man leaned over him and frowned disapprovingly. "I have half a mind to feed you to those damned Stalchildren!" Said Stalchildren clawed at the heavy doors and hissed and chittered in anger that their prize had slipped away by the skin of his teeth. "Ingo, don't be so mean!" A familiar voice scolded. Link peered open his eyes slightly and caught sight of the girl from earlier leaning over him now. She winked at him, and he knit his brows in confusion. "Malon, you ought to be in bed." Ingo harrumphed and crossed his arms. "What Father doesn't know won't kill him." She crossed her arms right back. "I'll take care of our guest." "Suit yourself, kid." Ingo snorted and meandered towards the blue building. Malon uncrossed her arms and bent down to lean over Link again, who was lying flat on his back in exhaustion. "Hi, my name is Malon. I didn't mean to frighten you earlier."  
>It wasn't fright that drove him away, but rather crude embarrassment. She tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, then smiled compassionately at the crumpled boy on the ground. "Why don't we find you a place to rest?"<p>

Link hardly remembered what happened after Malon said that to him. He woke up late in the afternoon, though, to the unpleasant smell of cattle. Link rubbed his eyes groggily; his skin itched all over from the pile of loose hay he'd been resting in. The boy sat up and rubbed the back of his neck. He hadn't slept so much as he'd completely gave out from exhaustion. He silently vowed to never push his body so hard again, but he didn't have much of a choice yesterday. Yesterday.  
>It still all felt surreal to him. His thoughts were briefly interrupted when the doors of the barn were swung open and unwarranted sunlight flooded the space. Link groaned unhappily and pulled his hat down over his eyes.<p>

Malon noticed he was awake and set down the empty tin buckets in her hands. She treaded towards him and nudged Link with the toe of her boot. "Hey, boy, get up." She urged with a hint of amusement in her tone. "You've been asleep for an entire week." Link yanked the hat off his head and stared at her with bulging eyes. What was she talking about?!  
>Malon laughed into her hands again, then smiled innocently.<br>"Just kidding. Who are you, anyways?" Link frowned slightly at her, and crawled backwards when she curiously leaned in close to his face. He did not particularly like being crowded or cornered. Under the scrutiny of Malon's gaze he was having a hard time breathing. She wrinkled her nose a little at him, and Link felt a little offended. He might've been a tad dirty, but he was nothing disgusting!  
>"Your clothes, they're so different. Wait, are you from the forest, fairy boy?" She asked. Link glanced down at his tunic. He didn't think what he was wearing was all that strange, but he didn't raise a fuss.<p>

Instead he meekly nodded. Malon's eyes seemed to brighten considerably and she assaulted him with a slew of rapid-fire questions. "Why did you leave the forest? Who exactly are you? Where did you get that sword and wooden shield? You reek, fairy boy, what happened to you?" Link felt dizzy from her endless supply of questions and the fact she kept poking and prodding at him. "Hey, earth to fairy boy, do you have a name?"  
>"Link." He said softly. The girl seemed surprised he said anything at all, but grinned at him and reached over to pluck a stray piece of hay from his hair. "I'm Malon. My father runs this ranch and we export Lon Lon Milk to all over Hyrule." She explained to him. "You're cute, fairy boy, I like you."<p>

Link spent his day more or less being dragged around by Malon and listening to whatever she jabbered on about. Honestly, she was worse than Navi with her constant chatter, but at least she wasn't complaining. He helped her with her chores, and when evening started to draw near again he felt exhausted once more. His muscles cried with soreness everytime he moved, and it had put a damper on his mood all day. Now he finally had an opportunity to relax, and by Din he was going to take full advantage of it. He and Malon were in the coral watching the horses graze. The girl was humming a sweet tune beneath her breath and constantly tucking her hair behind her ears. Link never caught on to the fact se kept stealing glances over to him, or that her breathing was light and shallow; he was in a light sleep when Malon worked up enough nerve to break their comfortable silence-something Link had reveled in. "Hey, fairy boy, want to see something?" She asked him and Link blinked his eyes open sleepily. Malon took that as a yes and started to sing the tune she was humming with more gusto. A caramel coloured foal trotted over with a starch white mane and tail. It snorted before nuzzling Malon's outstretched hand. "This is Epona. Isn't she sweet?"

Link sat up and awed quietly at the beautiful animal. He reached out his own hand to the finicky foal and Epona took off like a rocket the opposite direction from them. Malon covered her mouth to suppress her giggles while Link knit his thick brows together in confusion. "Epona doesn't seem to like you, fairy boy."  
>Link frowned at that, especially after Malon sang again and the foal trotted right up to her. He reached out again and was met with the same result. It dawned on Link that perhaps it was the song Malon chanted that soothed the beast into docility. He unhooked the ocarina Saria gave to him as a parting gift from his belt and held it against his lips. "Oh? What a cute ocarina, you want to learn my song?" Malon asked him curiously. "My mother used to sing it to me as a lullaby. I'll show it to you."<p>

They practiced together until Link could replicate the tune on his instrument flawlessly. It was a wonderful sight, Malon thought, to watch his slim fingers nimbly switch holes and produce soft, almost haunting tunes. Link closed his eyes when he played, his eyebrows were pulled taut in concentration, and he swayed gently from side to side like a snake charmer. It made her blush to watch him, but she kept her voice steady so he wouldn't be alarmed. Epona came over to them both after listening to the song, and even allowed Link to stroke her muzzle. "I guess she likes you, fairy boy." Malon tried to hide the pride in her voice. Link grinned as Epona nibbled on the blonde wisps of hair that stuck out from under his hat.

Link slept out in the barn again, but he didn't mind as much this time. After Talon rounded up the children from the coral he treated them to dinner (vegetarian for Link) and Malon and him stayed up drawing pictures on spare scraps of paper while Talon heated up water for the wash basin. Link handed Malon a rather crude drawing of himself and her in the coral, and he smiled when the girl hugged it close and thanked him. He laid now with his arms tucked behind his head as a makeshift pillow in the hay pile. The cattle lowed in a dull roar that made the boy drift off towards sleep. Navi stayed near him and reminded Link that tomorrow he ought to head towards Hyrule Castle, and Link thought she was right. Another day here would be overstaying his welcome. His final thought was leaving when the sun first showed its face before he let his deeper conscious take over.

He was abruptly woken when a cow suddenly cried out. Link jumped up on reflex, but only found grumpy Ingo milking the poor cow. Link shuddered and hurried outside of the barn without bothering to dust himself off. Malon was scattering feed to the cuckoos; Talon was nowhere to be seen, but that wasn't all that surprising. Link had never met anyone lazier than him until he laid eyes on Talon passed out in the middle of his shop floor with cuckoos surrounding him. Malon noticed Link was up and waved her hand eagerly in greeting.

"Good morning, fairy boy!" Link waited as she treaded lightly through white birds towards him. Link gave her a half-smile in return to her greeting. Malon seemed to read his mind when she caught his lonesome gaze at the exit.  
>"You're leaving?" She asked softly, not really needing an answer to know it was true. Link was a traveler, she expected this to happen. Regardless she pursed her lips into a small pout at the thought of losing the one person who listened to her so patiently. "Well, I can't stop you, fairy boy, I can only wish you luck. Go see my father before you leave, he has a gift for you."<br>Link nodded and turned towards the faded blue building.

Inside he found Talon asleep (no surprise there) with a fat cuckoo perched atop his balding head. Link shook the man awake and he jolted, sending the animal away squawking. "What in tarnation?!" Talon rubbed his head then realized it was only Link before him. The kind man emitted a jolly, tummy-rumbling laugh and stood up. His belly was prominent in his blue overalls. "You must be heading out, Link, I have a little something-something for you before you go."  
>He reached underneath the desk and pulled out a glass of milk then handed it to the boy. "Don't worry about that milk going sour; the bottle has been treated to act as an insulator and it's sealed on tight. It should keep for several days. It's a gift for helping me round up my cuckoos and cleaning out the silo."<p>

Link almost smiled at the memory of yesterday; Talon was so helpless. "Also, I was wondering if you wanted to marry my daughter Malon?"  
>Link tilted his head to the side at the suggestion, having not the foggiest idea of what "marriage" was. He hesitantly shook his head no and Talon roared in laughter, slapping his knee as well. "I was just pulling your leg, son!" Talon wiped at his eyes. "Go on now. You've got a long day ahead of you."<br>Link nodded his head in thanks for the milk then hurried out the door and towards the wooden gates. He paused and to look around for Malon, but saw her nowhere. He shrugged it off then dashed out the gates, loving the feel of the morning sunshine on his face.

Malon watched from the rooftop of the barn, sighing softly as Link became nothing but a dot in the distance. She unfolded the slip of paper in her dress pocket and ran her fingers over the crude drawing, then held it against her chest. She managed a half-hearted wave before she leaned back on her hands and watched the puffy clouds roll by. "Good bye, fairy boy. Come back soon."

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><p>AN: So we sidetracked in our quest a tad earlier than in the game. Since Malon will be a love interest for Link later on I wanted to go ahead and introduce her. Next we'll head towards Hyrule Castle and meet some new faces!

Reviews make me a better writer and a happier camper! (UwU)


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer:

I do not own Ocarina of Time nor any part of the Zelda franchise.

All rights go to their respective owners.

This story is a work of fiction and corresponds to the story line, but does not follow it exactly.

This chapter is rated: K

A/N:

I'm sorry this chapter is a little shorter than the other two. There just isn't much to say about Link's rendezvous at Hyrule Castle, and many of the mini games found in Ocarina of Time are only open at night. They'll probably get an honourable mention later on.

I'm also sorry the last chapter was so condensed. I'm new and still leaning the ropes. I'll try and fix that.

Thanks for bearing with me (^u^) you guys are great!

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><p>Chapter 3: Princess of Hyrule<p>

Link managed to slip past the drawbridge of Hyrule Castle before sundown and avoided another run-in with those Stalchildren (he knew better than to stay in Hyrule Field now!). The perimeter of the castle was everything he expected with tall, gleaming ivory walls, polished stones, and a large, golden triforce mounted above the drawbridge. A soldier greeted Link as he entered past the walls. "Welcome to Hyrule Castle, a small, prosperous town."  
>Link knit his thick brows together at that, a little confused, and entered a building to his left hoping someone inside would explain. Inside was a single guard and a room full of clay pots. Link approached the guard and he invited him to let off some steam by smashing the pots. Link left the little guard house wondering how these soldiers were hired. He traveled north and came across what must have functioned as the "town" portion of the castle. Hylians roamed the streets while others sold their wares from stands. There were several tall buildings and music filled the air as people danced and laughed merrily. Link cracked a small smile; this was a wonderful place.<p>

He pulled on the skirts and pants of several people, but most ignored or scolded him. Finally, a soldier came up to him with a kind smile on his face. He knelt down so he was on Link's level.  
>"What do you need little boy, are you lost?"<br>Link chewed on the inside of his lip while looking at the man; Navi flew out from under his hat and spoke for him.  
>"The Great Deku Tree of the Kokiri Forest beesched us grave news to tell the princess." The fairy chimed almost testily. "Take us to Hyrule Castle so we may meet her." The soldier laughed and Link swore he saw Navi turn dark maroon from anger. "What a queer little companion you have, boy! I'm afraid no common folk have audiences with our fair princess, though, so run along and play." He shooed Link away and Navi fluttered back and forth in obvious annoyance.<br>"Link, if we can't see her formally then we'll just have to break in!"  
>Link stared at the fairy as if she'd gone mad.<p>

Link and Navi explored the little open pavilion further before heading down the trail towards the castle. He went inside several shops and even played an archery game with his slingshot for a bigger bag to hold his deku seeds before Navi nearly nagged his ear off about heading towards the caste. Link checked to make sure no soldiers were watching him, then traversed the dirt trail that led towards the castle. He saw big iron gates in the distance and a soldier on guard, so Navi all but demanded he find a way using the tall bluffs on either side of the trail. Link searched around until he found some vines to crawl up, then carefully shimmied his way to the top of the bluff and saw an incredible sight.

The castle was huge and had a drawbridge all its own. It looked polished and practically gleamed in the sunlight. It was beautiful, pristine, and everything Link expected of the Hylian royal family. He tiptoed his way along the top of the bluff (ducking down flat on his stomach every time the guard glanced his direction) and inched his way past the stone guard tower. He stepped on a pile of loose dirt and came tumbling down the bluff into the dirt road below, but thankfully he raised no suspicion. "These guards are peabrains. Get going, Link, the castle is up ahead." Link glared at his companion while he brushed dirt off his tunic and trudged ahead with a slight limp. To his dismay, guards were posted everywhere. He had heard that somebody had tried to break into the castle and the guards were ramping up security, but this was ridiculous! Link hurried his step and finally came to the moat of the castle, where Navi nudged him towards the rushing water. "Hurry before a guard spots us!" She hissed. Link heard heavy footsteps and metallic clank behind him, so he dove in and let the current carry him to a spot where dirt had accumulated. He drug himself out, wet and irritated, and made his way around the side of the castle. He moved boxes to reveal a crawlspace where water was fed into the moat and went through it.

Link came out in a shallow little pool in what appeared to be a garden. He heard the muffled voices of soldiers ahead and bit his tongue so he wouldn't howl in frustration. After more ducking around and dodging men he came to an opening that lead to a private place was beautiful with neatly trimmed grass and white marble. Link spotted someone trying to peer into a window. She was standing on her tiptoes, but was still too short. He smiled slightly and approached her. The girl heard his footsteps and whirled around with a gasp. She wore a long white gown and a plum garment over it inscribed with the holy triforce and the Hylian eagle. Her hair was hidden by a headdress, but Link guessed blonde, since her eyebrows were blonde. Her eye were deep blue and she seemed just as stunned as Link felt. Link felt an unfamiliar warmth creep up the back of his neck and tinge his ears. She didn't seem to notice and instead gave him a pointed look.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?"  
>Navi appeared from under Link's hat and the girl looked stunned all over again.<br>"On one knee, Link! This is the princess of Hyrule, so show her some respect!"  
>Link nodded numbly to the fairy and fell to one knee, bowing deeply to the princess. Dangerous thoughts invaded his mind about just how pretty this princess was. "You have a fairy?" Her tone changed from cold to interested. "You must be the one I'm looking for."<br>Link's heart jumped involuntarily at her words and clawed its way to his throat. She spread her arms out and curtsied to Link politely. "My name is Zelda and I am the princess of Hyrule. Please tell me your name, young hero."

_I'm a hero? _

He wasn't about to correct her, even if she was obviously mistaking him for someone else. "Link." He said hoarsely, then shriveled internally at how weak he sounded. Some hero he was. Zelda didn't seem to notice Link's discomfort and folded her hands in front of her daintily. She fluttered her lashes at him and Link nearly fell over. "Link," She said sweetly, "I've been dreaming about a young hero with a fairy who will be my champion. Is that you?"  
>Link nodded and she chuckled softly.<br>"Rise, Link. We have many things to discuss." Zelda beckoned Link towards her, and he came without hesitation. "Do you see the man inside this window?"  
>Link stretched on his tiptoes, then nodded as he caught the outline of a man dressed in black.<br>"That man is evil." Zelda hissed. "He pledges allegiance to my father, but I know he wants to rule all of Hyrule himself. We are in a state of peace across the land and I won't have that filthy King of the Gerudo Tribe destroy it." Link watched her as she spoke. She was obviously passionate about her nation and people, but he was more focused on how cute she looked with her nose scrunched in anger.  
>"So we must work together and stop him. Do you understand, Link? I cannot leave the castle grounds, but I'll persuade my father not to trust the Gerudo king while you work in the field. He's after the sacred triforce, but we won't let him have it."<br>Zelda snatched Link's wrists and made his pale face flame up. "You have to do this task for me, Link. You cannot fail, understand, because all of Hyrule rests on our shoulders."

"Anything." Link said bravely and caused Zelda's lips to twitch slightly into a smile.  
>"Good. You have to go across Hyrule and collect the three keys to the temple of time. Guard them with your life so Ganondorf cannot have them. They are located in the Kokiri Forest, Death Mountain, and Zora's Domain."<br>Link blinked at her in slight confusion and produced the emerald that the Deku Tree gave him before he passed on. Zelda gasped and grabbed Link's shoulders.  
>"That's it!" She yelled, then stepped back and regained her composure. "That's it, the Kokiri Emerald. I knew you were the hero of my dreams, Link. Do you have the Goron Ruby and the Zora Sapphire as well?"<br>Link shook his head and Zelda sighed softly.  
>"Then that is your mission. Find them and bring them to me for protection. Can you do that for me, Link?"<br>"Anything for you, princess." Link bowed deeply again and Zelda looked deeply gratified. "Thank you, Link."

"Princess Zelda, are you okay?" Another feminine voice called. Link jolted upright as a tall, muscular woman with body armor and the mark of the Sheikah on her jogged towards Zelda. She had white hair cropped short and tied back in a short ponytail. It reminded Link of a warrior's wolf tail. "Impa, I'm fine." Zelda insisted firmly and pushed the woman away when Impa tried to embrace her. "Link, this is my personal attendant Impa. Impa this is Link, the hero in my dreams."  
>Impa gave Link a curious look, but crossed her arm across her chest and knelt in respect towards him. "It's an honour to meet a friend of the dear princess." "Impa, it's a wonderful thing you arrived. Link will need some sort of proof to show he is on a mission from me, so teach him the song of the royal family."<br>Impa looked stunned and began to protest.  
>"But princess, that song is sacred and only passed down among-"<br>"I trust that Link is pure of heart and good. He won't abuse the power the song brings, I promise."  
>Impa looked like she wanted to protest some more, but instead pursed her lips tightly and stood upright. "Yes princess, of course."<p>

She narrowed her eyes slightly at Link then gestured towards his ocarina. He grabbed it and Impa whistled while Link replicated the tune.  
>" A master musician." Impa looked slightly impressed by his obvious talent with the instrument. "Use the song whenever you need a sign to show you are working for the royal family."<br>Zelda came forward and squeezed Link on the shoulder. "Good luck, hero."  
>She leaned toward and placed a small, chaste kiss on his cheek at made all the hair on the back of Link's neck stand on end. He smiled shyly at Zelda while Impa led him out of the courtyard.<p>

Impa took Link to the outside of Hyrule castle to the main drawbridge and pointed towards a tall, looming mountain in the distance. Smoke floated from the top and a bad feeling twisted Link's gut looking at it.  
>"Death Mountain is the next stop on your journey, hero. Travel through Kakariko Village and follow the trail to the Goron City. Find Darunia and seek his aid. I wish you luck, Link."<br>Impa nodded to him, took a few steps back, then disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Link coughed and waved away the smoke, then gazed at the mountain looming over him. "Well, you heard the princess, lets get moving."  
>Link ignored the fairy and started towards the mountain, intent on reaching this village before night fell. All the way there he thought of nothing but Zelda's words.<p>

_Link, the hero of my dreams._

His heart fluttered inside his chest and Link couldn't mask the smile on his face.  
>"Ah oh, looks like the 'hero' is in love." Navi grumbled to herself as she hurried along behind the boy.<p>

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><p>Awe, so Zelda makes Link's heart go '<em>doki doki<em>'.

Reviews! Yes! Please? They make the story better and me happy!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:**

**I do not own Ocarina of Time nor any part of the Zelda franchise.**

**All rights go to their respective owners.**

**This story is a work of fiction and corresponds to the story line, but does not follow it exactly.**

**This chapter is rated: K**

**A/N:**

**I apologize for the brief hiatus; school work and the holidays kept me occupied.**

**Thank you for the reviews! You guys are the best.**

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><p>Chapter 4: Goron City<p>

Kakariko Village wasn't a long trek up the mountain like Link expected, but rather it was close to the base-and he was grateful. The village was small with only one farm and a fairly rowdy construction troop galavanting around. It had a windmill, a well, and a few miscellaneous shops, but that was about it. Navi insisted that Link go straight through the small village and up the mountain, but the boy found his tender heart kept him busy chasing down cuckoos for a woman who was allergic to them. Navi was less than impressed by Link's chivalry, but the woman was so grateful she gave Link a shiny glass bottle.

"Great," the fairy complained to Link, "since you simply had to chase smelly cuckoos the sun is already setting!" Link shrugged his shoulders and the low rumble from his gut caught his attention more than his nagging companion did. Navi turned red whenever Link turned and walked away from her whilst she was ranting. "You get back here, idiot boy!" Navi snapped and ducked underneath Link's hat, completely fed up with him. Link smirked slightly and knocked on the door of a home where a delicious smell was emitted from.

A plump woman with her brown hair tied off in braids welcomed Link in and invited him to dinner. Link was surprised to see the construction workers gathered around the bunk beds inside while the grumpy foreman barked at them-it didn't seem to affect them in the slightest. The woman gave Link a bowl of creamy soup and turned down the blue rupee he offered in return.  
>"It's no trouble, boy, I made far too much."<br>Link listened to the men speak while he silently ate his soup.  
>"Geez! That geezer sure was extra grumpy today. I'm beat, boys. I could use a little fun."<br>"I hear ya. This village is about as interesting as drying paint, though."  
>"Hey! I know, why don't we stop by the graveyard and scare ol' Dampé?"<br>"No!" The other men echoed in horror. "Dampé is horrifyingly scary!"  
>Link put away his bowl and despite the fatigue from travel, his muscles burned with energy and excitement. He would meet this Dampé.<p>

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><p>It turned out Dampé wasn't as terrifying as Link was led to believe. He was just an old, hunchbacked man with a few missing teeth and impressive arms from digging graves. Link quietly observed the man from the fenceline, Dampé moved slowly and carried his shovel over his brawny shoulder. "Who goes there?!" Dampé suddenly yelled and Link felt his blood turn to ice. The boy steeled himself and walked through the graveyard gates so Dampé could see him. "Oh, just a boy. You here for the tour?" the old gravekeeper asked Link. "Dampé's Heart-Pounding Gravedigging Tour. Only ten rupees." Link quirked his brows up in slight confusion, but he wasn't one to turn down adventure.<p>

He gave Dampé the money and the old man smirked and lumbered off towards the nearest grave; Link followed and watched curiously. "So you want me to dig here?" Dampé questioned, and Link could only meekly nod his head. The old man heaved the shovel off his shoulder and shoved it into the hard earth. His movements were labored and his breaths were shallow-Link was about to tell the old man to stop, that it was okay-but Dampé hit something solid and it caused the gravekeeper to grin his toothless smile. "There ya are lad. Go on, open it up. There may be treasure inside."

Link was beginning to question the legality of this "business" Dampé had, but he wasn't about to tell the old man no after he'd labored digging for him. Link steeled himself and leaned over the hold, finding a rotten wooden coffin. He swallowed thickly before reaching down and pulling back the lid, only to find a nearly decomposed corpse inside. Link retched, but suddenly the corpse gave out an awful scream that caused Link to stumble back and land on his rear. Dampé was apparently much faster than he let on, because the old man was already tucked away inside his shack, quivering from fear.

The corpse grabbed at the earth on either side of the hole and lifted itself up. It was wearing a wooden burial mask, but Link was glad not to see any rotting features of what used to be a person. The boy shook as he grabbed at his sword and shield. The ReDead moaned softly, barely audible, but it was the sound of pure misery. Link felt his blood freeze inside his veins as the zombie lurched towards him with slow, clumsy steps. He scrambled to his feet and tightly clutched his wooden Deku shield. Link tried to steady his breathing and recalled his battle with the wicked Gohma-he had acted on pure adrenaline and instinct then, but he had been brave and he needed to focus on vanquishing this new evil like he had then. Link circled the rotting humanoid, it slowly turned to face him as he moved; he launched at it with a fearsome cry and buried his sword deep into the creature's back. The ReDead emitted a terrifying scream of pain, then collapsed.

Link pulled his sword back out and found it stained black from old blood. A small pool of black was starting to pour out of the corpse and the air stank of death and of the rotten organs now exposed. Link slashed off the creature's head to make sure it was truly dead, then ran his hand along his sword to clean it of the blood. It stained his small, pale hand dark. Link walked to the old gravekeeper's shack and streaked his handprint down his door, then he wrote in the Hylian script: Never Again. It was a warning to the man that if he put anyone else in danger for a few extra rupees in his pocket, then Link wouldn't be there to save his sorry behind.

The moon was high in the night sky and Link was exhausted from that terrifying experience, but he walked through the silent village that night and went to the guard at the gate to Death Mountain. The guard was asleep, so Link just climbed the fence and walked on without a care. By dawn he'd trekked up a large portion of the mountain and was in sight of Goron City.

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><p>Link had heard the Gorons were a lively race always joyful and dancing around their mountainous home, but when he arrived Link saw quite the opposite. The large creatures were lying around clutching their empty tummies and moaning pitifully. There was no music in the air and torches were scarcely lit around the huge cavern. Link walked past the beasts, his tender heart bleeding at the sight of their misery, and traveled down to the bottom floor of the city. Link was so tired he could barely stop himself from falling asleep on his feet, but he grabbed his ocarina and played the tune Impa had taught him-the sign of the royal family.<p>

A large Goron with white hair and tribal markings all along his arm appeared; Link guessed this was the Goron in charge. "You're the royal messenger?" The Goron curled his massive lip in disapprovement and flashed his yellow, animalistic teeth. "The King, my sworn brother, insults me by sending a mere child to aid me?! My people are starving!"  
>Link shrunk away from the Goron's imposing yell and the angry leader stomped back inside his quarters. "Ruin. It's all gone to ruin." Link heard him grumble. The boy followed the Goron inside and saw him rubbing his brow in worry. "What do you want, boy?" He snapped angrily. "Can't you see I'm miserable enough?"<p>

Link pursed his lips slightly and took out his ocarina. It wasn't much, but the least he could do was play a song to ease the burden in this man's heart. Link played the lively tune Saria had taught him long ago. It was one that radiated happiness and childish whimsy of the forest. The leader at first stared at Link in wonder, then let himself go and moved to the music. Link joined him, and soon the very ground shook from the dancing Goron and little Hylian boy. When Link finished the song they were both panting, but the Goron had let a small smile creep upon his lips. "Thanks kid, I really needed that. I am Darunia, leader of the Gorons. Who are you?"  
>"Link." The boy answered back plainly and caused Darunia's smile to widen. "Link, why have you come here?"<p>

"We need the Goron Ruby." Navi piped up and flew from underneath Link's hat. Darunia lost his smile. "That stone is sacred to my people. I can't trust it to strangers." Darunia scratched at his beard. "But, if you were to go slay the beast inside Dodongo's Cavern I might reconsider. It's a heavy task, are you up to it?"  
>Link nodded his head. He would've much rather took a nap than slay some terrible beast, but Princess Zelda had tasked him with collecting these stones and he would not fail her. Darunia's laugh filled the cavern and echoed off the walls-for a moment it drowned out the pained cries of his people. "Then go forth Link, mighty hero, and slay the king of the Dodongos."<br>Link took a deep breath and turned towards the door, but Darunia placed a massive hand on his shoulder. "Here boy, accept this gift before you go. Thank you for relighting the hope in my heart."  
>Darunia handed him some gold plated bracelets. They were heavy, but once Link slipped them on he felt a surge of power rush through him.<br>"The bracelets are enchanted to enhance strength. It is a gift from me."  
>Link thanked Darunia and hurried out the door with Navi goading him on. The Goron watched the boy leave and exhaled softly. He surely hoped this lad was the champion who would save them.<p>

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><p>By the time Link had traveled a large portion back down the mountain it was beginning to grow dark outside, he knew he'd have to find shelter. Link wearily looked up at the gaping mouth of the cavern where an evil beast laid in wait, and it was starting to look more and more appealing. His legs felt like lead, but he drug his feet into the cavern and laid down his supplies near the mouth of the cavern, It was warm on Death Mountain, so Link didn't have to shiver and curl up into a ball for warmth tonight. He had trouble falling asleep with the sound of Tektites scratching around outside and Keese flapping their wings inside, but whatever rest he did attain was gravely needed.<p>

Link was startled awake at one point by the screech of silver scaled baby Dodongos. Link leapt to his feet by mere instinct at this point and snatched his weapon. The group of limbless reptiles snapped their jaws at Link and leapt up at him with powerful muscles. Link slashed at one with his sword, but had to quickly duck behind a boulder as the defeated enemy writhed, then exploded. The explosion caused the others to turn belly-up and explode onto the cavern walls as well in a chain reaction. Link glanced down at his singed and now blood spattered tunic, then exhaled heavily as he carefully gathered up his pack and crept further into the cavern.

He obtained a bomb bag inside one of the dungeon's rooms (which he was disgusted to learn was the stomach of a Dodongo) and was gently peering down a dark hole inside one of the rooms. He heard the low roars of something inside, but his heart was pounding incredibly fast and it was hard for him to catch his breath. He'd fought grown Dodongos along with more babies and his tunic and boots were absolutely covered in grime and guts from the beasts. Link hadn't seen his reflection, nor did he really care, but he looked like an absolute mess. His hair was tangled and bedraggled and his eyes had dark crescents beneath them. The boy glanced down the hole once more and swallowed heavily.

"King Dodongo is down there Link. Go forth, brave hero!" Navi nudged his shoulder and Link frantically shook his head no. The fairy sighed in exasperation.  
>"You'll be fine." Navi lied. "You have a new shield and plenty of bombs."<br>Link wasn't exactly proud of looting the Hylian shield from a fallen soldier (a skeleton, to be exact), but he didn't stay around to ask permission once he recalled the ReDead. The shield was heavier than his Deku shield (a casualty to the lava inside this dungeon), but it was sturdy and covered more of him-if he crouched down it completely protected him. His body quivered from the fear icing his veins, but with one hateful push from the fairy Link disappeared down the hole with a terrified scream.

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><p>The room he landed in had a molten lava pit in the center. Link groaned and stood himself up, sore from the fall, but his eyes were frantically scanning the room for whatever was making those distant growls. A mighty beast shook the ground as it took heavy steps towards the young boy. It opened its massive maw and roared, revealing rows of knife-like teeth. "Infernal dinosaur, King Dodongo." Navi announced. "Quick Link, throw a bomb into its mouth!"<br>She didn't have to tell the boy twice. Link reached into his pack and pulled out a fist-sized bomb. He scraped it along the rocky edge of the cavern and lit the fuze. King Dodongo took slow steps towards him again and opened its mouth, Link threw the bomb as hard as he could. The creature sputtered, momentarily stunned as the foreign object exploded inside its throat. Link rushed towards the tail, a weak spot on the adult Dodongos, and started slashing wildly. King Dodongo roared in fury and curled itself up into a ball, rolling around the thin slice of earth parameterizing the lava pool. Link crouched beneath his shield and blessed the goddesses that the monster's massive spikes bounced off the steel.

So began the game. Link would hurl a bomb and slash, then duck beneath the shield. Sometimes King Dodongo outsmarted the boy and ran him into the lava or singed him with a blast of fiery breath. Link plunged his sword deep into the horrible beast one last time as King Dodongo let out a deafening screech. Link barely had time to pull his sword out before the creature rolled up and fell into the pool of lava. Link watched in slight horror as King Dodongo sunk deep under his own weight. It took a long time before the creature finally died.

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><p>When Link came stumbling out of the cavern there were Goron people waiting for him. They saw him slick with sweat, blood, and covered in burns. Link slowly nodded his head and the Gorons broke out into gleeful cheers of triumph. Darunia was among them and despite Link's injuries he wrapped him in a tight hug. Link roared in absolute misery and felt tears form in his eyes. "We're now sworn brothers." Darunia smiled, looking almost smug. "Here is the Goron Ruby you requested."<br>Link took the red stone and tucked it away carefully next to the Kokiri Emerald. The other Gorons closed in on Link with their arms open wide for hugs, but the boy dashed away screaming while Darunia laughed.

Link climbed higher on Death Mountain to escape from the joyful Gorons and their crushing hugs. He found a weak spot in the mountainside and lit a bomb. A slew of rocks and debris tumbled away, but once Link stepped inside he found a fountain long sealed away. It had water rushing from it and was surprising cool inside. The boy stripped out of his tunic and boots, soaking his burned skin in the soothing water before he started to wash his clothes. Link swore he heard a taunting laugh, then a fairy appeared from the center of the fountain. It was obviously a woman, judging by her exaggerated feminine-er-features. The fairy regarded Link with curiosity, the way a child might judge a toy. "Oh young hero, I will soothe your wounds." She cooed. The fairy reached down and placed her hands on Link's own, and the boy shakily moaned in relief. A cool feeling overcame his body and the seared flesh healed itself as the pain died away. Link looked up at the fairy in wonder; she crossed her legs and laughed.

"That was an incredible feat you've performed for one so young. Please accept this gift as well." The fairy outstretched her hands and a green light filled the cavern. Link glanced down a his body, and frowned at the the tingly numbness overtaking him. "You can now use magical objects, hero. Visit my sisters on your journey and they shall gift you as well. When the battle has made you weary please come see me again."  
>The fairy cackled and spun on the tips of her toes before exploding into a shower of light, then she was gone. Link gathered up his soaked tunic and pulled it back on-it didn't matter to him at the moment if he chafed-then hurried out of the secret place.<p>

The trek down Death Mountain was just as hard as the climb, and once he reached Kakariko Village, Link lost all his strength and laid in the middle of the grassy village square. The kind woman from before took him inside and let him sleep, but after she returned from running some errands the boy was long gone and a blue rupee was in his place. Link walked with Navi up the river. Next stop was Zora's Domain, the home of the Zora's Sapphire.

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><p><strong>AN: Our hero is getting better with that sword of his! Next up is the Zora Domain and the quest inside Lord Jabu Jabu.**

**I tried to space the text out more so it was easier to read, tell me if I did a passable job! Format thumbs up or down?**

**Reviews make me a better writer and the happiest person alive.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:**

**I do not own Ocarina of Time nor any part of the Zelda franchise.**

**All rights go to their respective owners.**

**This story is a work of fiction and corresponds to the story line, but does not follow it exactly.**

**This chapter is rated: K**

**A/N: **

**Thank you everyone who reviewed! Check the A/N at the bottom for questions to be answered. **

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><p>Chapter 5: Zora Domain<p>

Link stopped at a small field beside the river and bedded down into the warm grasses. He was exhausted and felt like he would be able to sleep for years. Strangely enough, there was a stray Cuckoo roaming around near him pecking at insects. Link decided if a Cuckoo could roam freely here then it was as safe a place as any to rest. The boy slept soundly without a dream good or bad. Navi watched over him; Link's body was as still as a statue.

Link woke at dawn to the Cuckoo sitting on his chest saying its morning greetings to the rising sun. He was not nearly as impressed as the Cuckoo seemed to be. Link shoved the bird off him and, though he was normally very kind to animals, snatched up stones and hurled them at it. The Cuckoo flapped around in a panic screetching its head off. Link pulled his hat over his ears and scowled. Was the world so cruel to its hero that he couldn't get one nights rest?! Link grabbed the squawking bird, crying out in pain every time it pecked him or scratched with its small talons, and dumped it into the nearby river. He watched in satisfaction as the drenched animal disappeared downstream with the current. Link walked further upstream, fully awake now, and found a man sitting with his back against a fencepost munching on something he was pulling out of a small sack. "How 'bout some magic beans, kid? They aren't selling very well…" The man held his bag out towards Link. Link tilted his head, wary of accepting something called "magic beans" from a stranger, although the man eating them seemed to be fine…

Link handed the man a blue rupee and he gave Link a pod in return. The beans inside were tricoloured and very strange indeed. Link gave the man an awkward smile as the elder waved and thanked him. Link followed the river upstream, avoiding Octoroks who spouted up from the river itself and Tektites skimming its surface. He was drenched and shivering from the cold water by the time he reached a roaring waterfall. Link was confused; how was he to reach the Zora's domain if the path led to a dead end? He saw the faint outline of stone beneath his feet and dropped to his knees removing the moss grown over the stone. Engraved upon it was a holy triforce, the symbol of the royal family. Link stood and reached for his ocarina, then he gently played Zelda's lullaby. To his surprise, the waterfall gave a mighty rumble, then the water split down the middle. Link could now see a carved path in the solid earth. He took a few steps back, then leapt across. The stone was slippery and Link nearly missed the alcove all together. He managed to grab the damp soil and heaved himself up-now the front of his tunic was smeared in mud. Link traveled down the narrow path, curious as to what he might find.

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><p>The path opened into an enormous underground cavern with a waterfall and crystal clear lake. Link awed at the beautiful sight, running his fingertips over a stalagmite jutting from the floor of the walkway he was on. He barely spotted the shimmering fish-people of this region gliding gracefully through the water. Link sat with his legs swung over a lower portion of the walkway and let his toes graze the water. He'd bathed quickly at the fountain on Death Mountain, but he felt grimey coated with mud. Link pulled off his tunic and was about to slip into the water when something snatched his ankles and pulled him in. Link stared at a mischievous Zora laughing at him underwater. The boy surfaced to breathe, but he grinned and dove back down in an attempt to catch the creature.<p>

Of course it was far too fast for him and had the advantage of breathing underwater. Link's lungs could only survive so long before he had to burst up at the surface for breath. The Zora flicked its tail on the back of its head and swam towards the pouring waterfall, then Link watched in awe as it shimmied up the water easily. He crawled back onto the walkway and hurried to the top of the waterfall, but the Zora had beaten him. He smirked and dropped some rupees on the bottom of the waterfall, then gave Link a challenging look. The boy understood without a word; he wanted Link to gather up the rupees. Fearlessly Link bolted over the side of the waterfall and tried to make his body stiff so he would dive in, but he landed on his stomach instead. Link could hear the Zora's watery laughter over the gurgle of the waterfall. He got over his shock and rounded up the rupees as fast as he could. Link hadn't even seen the Zora skim down the waterfall, but he was suddenly beside Link.

Link swam to a little island inside the lake and heaved himself out to lay on it. The water was cool, but he didn't feel chilled. The Zora popped up its head and stared at Link with its dark eyes questioningly.  
>"I'm tired." He said gently. "Thanks for playing with me, though."<br>"Hylians rarely visit here." The Zora replied. Link was surprised the thing could speak his tongue, but he didn't voice this. The Zora launched out of the water and sat beside Link, revealing its true form to him. In the water, Zora seemed to meld into the blue. They were graceful creatures, well adapted for their watery home. Link found their sleek bodies adorned with large fins on their forearms and hips charming. Extending from the backs of their heads was a finned tail. "Why have you come?" The Zora asked him. "I need to speak to your leader about the Zora's Sapphire; I am on a quest for Princess Zelda."  
>The Zora tilted its head slightly at the young Hylian.<p>

"Us Zora have our own monarchy we follow, though we are allies of the Hylian King. Our King is troubled since his daughter has gone missing. Princess Ruto was offering a penance to our guardian deity, Lord Jabu Jabu, and never returned. We have searched everywhere for her, even going so far as Lake Hylia." "That's terrible." Link frowned. "Our King might be willing to speak to you if aid us in our search." The Zora pointed to an underwater alcove at the bottom of the lake. "The other side is Lake Hylia. Help me search there, please, young Hylian."  
>"My name is Link. I'll aid you." The boy dove back into the water and swam to the walkway, pulling his soiled tunic back on. The Zora stopped him before he went back inside the water. "Link, us Zora survive in only the purest of water. Please remove your soiled tunic."<br>"I-I have no other clothes." Link frowned slightly, uncomfortable leaving the underground cavern in only his wrappings. "We care not to see your nakedness." The Zora shrugged. "We wear no clothing either." Link peeled off his tunic once more and tightened his wrappings before he slipped into the water once more.  
>"Oh, Link, you have earned this for your foolhardy bravery earlier." The Zora handed Link a scale from his forearm. "With that scale you should be able to dive deeper than before."<p>

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><p>Lake Hylia was even larger than Zora's Domain. Link waded in the shallow end of the water, near the dock, while his companion searched in the deeper water. Link caught sight of something glistening beneath the pellucid waves. He swam down and grabbed it, finding it was a glass bottle with a piece of paper rolled up inside. Link sat on the dock and uncorked the bottle. Inside was a letter written in runes he did not understand and Hylian script; it was hard to read since the ink had smeared and the paper was damp, but Link managed.<p>

_Help me. I am waiting for you inside Lord Jabu Jabu's belly. -Ruto P.S. Don't tell my father!_

Link's blue eyes went wide, he quickly rolled the paper back up and stuck it inside the bottle. He quickly scanned the lake looking for the Zora, but couldn't find his companion anywhere. Link ducked back down the underwater alcove and immediately went to the throne room of King Zora, which was the tallest point in Zora's Domain.

King Zora was a...pudgy, overgrown Zora if Link had ever seen one. He wore a red robe and crown, but he hardly held a regal air. Link stepped up onto a raised portion of the walkway to speak to the King. He placed an arm over his middle and bowed respectfully before he presented the King with the glass bottle and note.  
>"It is signed from Princess Ruto, your majesty."<br>"Bring it to me, boy!"  
>Link nodded and walked the thin pathway up towards the king, who was sitting atop a small waterfall. The King read the letter in a haste, then moaned out in misery. "Oh my dear princess!" Link looked at him expectantly, but King Zora stared at him blankly.<br>"Return below so that I may speak to you, boy."  
>Link's jaw went tight, but he obliged; the last thing Hyrule needed was civil conflict amongst another race. King Zora cleared his throat before speaking. "What is your name, boy?"<p>

"Link." He replied. "Link." The King tested the name out, though he didn't seem impressed. "You're obviously Hylian. Though none have come before me naked before I shall look past it because you have brought me this important piece of information in my time of need. I am in need of a hero, Link, and you will have to do. Lord Jabu Jabu is the patron deity of the Zora race. He is benevolent and we usually encourage all visitors to see him, but as of late he has been out of sorts. I fear he may have some evil curse upon him cast from that man, Ganondorf. This can be the only reason he would swallow dear Ruto. Go retrieve my daughter and smite the evil inside Lord Jabu Jabu, Link!" Not only was Link mortified to realize he still was without his tunic, but watching the fat King try and wiggle out of the way so Link could pass to Zora's Fountain was horrible in a different sort of way. Link caught movement out of the corner of his eye, and saw his companion from earlier grinning and waving him over. They were at the waterfall once more.

"It will take our king some time to move. I've had a fiend take care of your soiled tunic, Link." Link breathlessly mouthed "thank you" to the Zora, then they were both over the waterfall again. Link landed with a large splash, but the Zora hardly made a ripple. The Zora brought Link to what looked like a shop. A Zora from behind the counter handed Link his tunic and boots, both now squeaky clean. Link couldn't thank them both enough as he pulled the damp tunic on over his soaked body and slipped his waterlogged boots on. Link tied the Zora scale onto his right boot, and he caught a faint smile on his companion's lips. "You'd best return to our king, Link. If he notices you missing he will assume you fled from the challenge-and you'll never gain our sapphire that way."  
>"Thank you for everything. What do I call you?" Link glanced at the friendly Zora. "Mikau." He smiled and hurried Link back towards the throne room.<p>

When Link returned the Zora king hadn't even noticed his absence. He scooted over with a final grunt and exhaled heavily. "Go forth and bring my precious daughter back to me, young hero."  
>Link nodded and hurried up the walkway then ventured through the gates King Zora had been blocking. Zora's Fountain wasn't too far away from the throne room, but Link was surprised to see an enormous creature sitting at a wooden dock; that must've been Lord Jabu Jabu. Lord Jabu Jabu didn't seem god-like in the same sense that King Zora didn't seem kingly. Lord Jabu Jabu was adorned with a headdress of gold and jewels, but the creature itself seemed sluggish and bloated. Lord Jabu Jabu eyed Link suspiciously. Our young hero approached the beast and poked at its lips with a Deku stick from his pack. Its mouth did not open, and Link furrowed his brows. He noticed a sign on the dock:<p>

_Presenting Lord Jabu Jabu with an offering will bring good luck to the bearer. _

What sort of offering did this creature desire?  
>Link felt something slimy inside his boot start to wiggle now that he was still. He yanked off his boot in a flash and groaned in disgust to find the Zora had stuck a live fish into his boot. He scratched his head at how he didn't notice the thing inside his boot before, but Lord Jabu Jabu had widened its eyes and pried open its massive jaws. It inhaled sharply, sucking in the fish and Link alike. Link disappeared inside the deity with a surprised cry.<p>

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><p><strong>AN: What will befall our young hero within the guardian deity of the Zora? **

**Hurray, Mikau from Majora's Mask cameoed! *ravenous applause from the studio audience*. **

**Firstly, I'd like to thank Pokemonwhite2 and Nintendoes Gamer for reading and reviewing loyally. I love it that all you guys like the chapters, though!**

**For my guest reviewer: I don't really understand your question. Am I aware of the settings for each game? If you could elaborate then I'd love to answer your question rightfully. **

**For Killerisdead14: Your review was incredibly sweet, thank you for the positive feedback! As for making Dark Link a female, I'll have to mull it over. He was really going to be the only yaoi pairing I planned on elaborating on, unless a lot of people requested another. I'd say if no one had any major protests to it, then why not. **

**As always, review! I love to hear feedback; it makes me a better writer and that makes for a better story. **


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